Great Conciliator and a bygone era

9:31 PM,
Jun. 28, 2014

Dana Milbank

Written by

Dana Milbank
Columnist

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., went to the Senate floor Thursday afternoon to announce the death of Howard Baker, his words recalled not just his revered predecessor but an earlier, worthier cohort of American politicians.

"Sen. Baker truly earned his nickname, the Great Conciliator," McConnell said. "I know he will be remembered with fondness by members of both political parties."

McConnell was right on both counts: Baker, the former Senate majority leader who died Thursday at age 88, was a master of compromise. Like others of his generation, the Tennessee ...